1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a component receptacle to segregate components.
2. Description of the Prior Art and Related Information
A component is typically defined as an element of a larger system. Computers, hardware, disk drives, cell-phones, etc., or for that matter any type of electronic, mechanical, or electromechanical system rely upon a multitude of individual electronic, mechanical, and/or electromechanical components to operate properly. If just one component is faulty or does not meet pre-defined performance specifications, then the larger system into which the component is assembled may be inoperative or may not meet performance requirements.
Therefore, individual electronic, mechanical, or electromechanical components are typically individually tested to ensure that they meet performance criteria before they are assembled into larger systems.
One commonly employed method of accomplishing this testing is by having an operator place the particular type of electronic, mechanical, or electromechanical component into a corresponding tester for testing. The tester will perform a pre-determined test or series of tests upon the component and will display the result of the test (e.g. pass or fail) upon a display screen to the operator. It is then up to the human operator to take the component out of the tester and to place the tested component into some sort of collection device based upon the test result (e.g. pass or fail) previously displayed to the operator. By performing such segregation, components that have successfully passed testing are available for assembly into their larger designated systems, whereas components that have failed their testing are typically discarded or repaired.
A variety of different types of similar components may often be tested at the same time. Therefore, there are typically a variety of different types of components having different types of test outcomes (e.g. pass or fail) which need to be placed by the human operator into different collection devices corresponding to the type of component and test outcome.
As a result, there is a chance for human error, possibly resulting in the wrong type of component or a component with an incorrect pass or fail rating being segregated into the wrong collection device. Unfortunately, when the wrong type of component or a failing component is assembled into a larger electronic, mechanical, or electromechanical system, the system may be completely inoperative or may not operate in accordance with performance requirements. These types of errors may add cost to the production of electronic, mechanical, and electromechanical systems.